Spring-wheel.



F. D. STUART. SPRING WHEEL.

APPLICATION FILED SEPTJO. 1915- Patented Apr. 18; 1916.

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FREDERICK ID. STUART, 0F DOUG-LASI'ON, NEW YORK.

SPRING-WHEEL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 18, rate.

Application filed September 10, 1915. Serial No. 50,030.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK D. STUART, a citizen of the United Statesof'America, residing at Douglaston, in the county of Queens and State ofNew York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Spring-W heels,of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain novel and useful improvements inspring Wheels.

In carrying out the present invention, it is my purpose to improve andsimplify the general construction of spring wheels and to provide awheel wherein the tire surrounding the felly may move relatively to thelatter so as to compensate for any inequality in the roadway, andwherein the parts will be so correlated and arranged as to reduce thepossibility of derangement to a minimum.

It is also my purpose to provide a spring wheel which may bemanufactured and marketed at small cost, which will be strong anddurable in construction and which will operate efficiently andeffectively for its intended purpose.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in theconstruction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter set forthin and falling within the scope of the claim.

In the accompanying drawing; Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevation ofa spring wheel constructed in accordance with the present invention.Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view therethrough.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, 1 designates the felly of thewheel. Secured to the side edges of the felly 1 and projecting outwardlytherefrom are annular plates 2, 2 and secured to the inner surfaces ofthe plates 2, 2 adjacent to the peripheries thereof and projectinginwardly toward each other are rings 3, 3.

4t designates an annulus U-shape in cross section and disposed betweenthe rings 3, 3.

The inner ends of the limbs of the annulus at are bent outwardly atright angles to themselves as at 5 and the right angular portions 5 ofthe limbs lie within the re spective rings 8 concentrically of thelatter and are spaced apart therefrom as clearly illustrated in Fig. 2.Interposed between the confronting surfaces of the rings 3 and rightangular portions 5 of the annulus 4: are supporting springs 6 of theretractile type and each spring has one end secured to the particularring and the opposite end fastened tothe corresponding flange 5. Thesesprings 6 arespaced apart equidistant about the wheel and act to holdthe annulus 4L yieldingly connected with the rings 3 on the side plates2 so that such annulus may move relatively to the side plates within thelatter when occasion'demands.

Surrounding the annulus 4: and riveted or otherwise connected to thecentral member thereof is a spring wheel band 7 and surrounding the band7 and suitably secured thereto is a solid rubber tire 8. lnterposedbetween the confronting faces of the tire 8 and the band 7 is a strip ofleather 9 or similar material and the side plates of the leather strip 9overlie the similar edges of the spring wheel band 7 and are secured tothe outer surfaces of the side plates 2 by bolts 10 or other appropriatefastening devices. The outer edges of the leather strip 9 are slack asillustrated in Fig. 2 so that the rubber tire 8, spring wheel band 7 andsupporting annulus 4 may move freely relatively to the side plates 2 andthe felly 1. Interposed between the outer surface of the felly and thecentral member of the annulus l. are coiled expansion springs 11 spacedapart about the felly equal distances and cooperating with the springs 6to maintain the annulus 4, band 7and rubber tire 8 in normal position.Coiled retractile springs 10 are arranged about the felly 1 between thefelly and the flanges 5 on the U-shaped annulus 4: and the inner ends ofthese springs are secured to the felly, while the outer ends thereof areconnected to the flanges 5, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 1 of thedrawing, and these springs 10 counteract the spring 6.

In practice, when an obstruction is encountered in the road the adjacentportion of the tire S and band 7 move toward the felly l and in thismovement of the rubber tire and the band 7 the lower portion of theannulus 4 moves into the spaces between the side plates 2 while theportion of such annulus moves out of the space between the side plates.In this movement of the an nulus the action of the springs 6 and 11 iscounteracted so that when the tire is relieved of the influence of theobstruction the springs, react to restore the parts to normal position.

I claim:

In spring wheel construction, a folly, side plates secured to theopposite edges of the folly and projecting outwardly therefrom, ringssecured to the inner surfaces of said side plates adjacent to theperipheries thereof and projecting inwardly toward each other, anannulus U-shaped in cross section disposed between the said ringsandhaving the inner edges of the limbs thereof bent outwardly at rightangles to themselves and disposed concentrically of the respectiverings, retractile springs interposed between said rings and rightangular portion of said annulus and each having one end secured to theparticular ring and the opposite end fastened to the correspondingflange and acting to hold the annulus in normal position, a rubbertiresurrounding Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each,by addressing the thecentral member of said annulus concentrically ofthe latter and secured thereto, a spring wheel band interposed betweensaid tire and the adjacent portion of said annulus, a strip of leatherdisposed between the confronting faces of said rubber tire and FREDERICKD. STUART.

\Vitnesses:

MAGGIEA. STUART. FRANCIS J. WANSER.

Commissioner of Patents Washington, D. 0.

